


Elementals: Early years

by EmeryldLuk



Category: Bleach
Genre: Elementals, Gen, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Story - Freeform, Prequel, Seireitei, child characters, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 10:03:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15906075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeryldLuk/pseuds/EmeryldLuk
Summary: He made a wish; a wish to stop what he knew would happen in the future. Still wrangling with the tragedy he is running from, Tyler hopes that by gathering the future Elementals together he can keep them safe, keep them from a future he fears is inevitable.





	Elementals: Early years

Year 1980

Rukongai  number 54

 

Dust took a long time to settle after the land slide. The young man wrapped his tan cloak around him as he trudged through it following a hazy red figure barely bigger than his hand. The figure barely had any shape because the same hazy red surrounded it in a glow.

Walking in the dust obscured his vision badly. He tripped over a few rocks and made slow progress. Grumbling about various nuisances, he pulled the hood of his cloak around to keep from breathing in the dust.

The little red sprite emitted a happy squealing noise and practically vanished into the rocks. He cursed and sprung forward. He could feel the reiatsu of a child nearby. And fading. It took him a few moments to remove the earthen debris to find the small child buried in the fetal position. The little red light form spun around in the air a few times above the child.

“All these years and you choose the one that’s just barely clinging to life. Well, you always were the compassionate one in the end.” He grunted and lifted the child. Silky black hair, tangled and dirt covered now, suited the girl’s silvery gray clothing. He had no idea who she was, but now her identity no longer mattered.

The sprite settled on the girl’s head and dissipated. He felt life returning to her body. She opened her eyes for a moment. He watched as her pupils changed from white to black. A blind child close to death. As odd as it seemed to him, it suited the spirit.

“Zaraki Megumi, I finally found you.”

 

 

Rukongai number 25

 

She tied up her hair with a velvety blue ribbon. It had been given to her years ago by her mother. Bucket of water by her side, she knelt to her task of cleaning the floors. She became lost in her thoughts as she watched the water spill and slide. Sometimes she saw a face in the reflection. A friend in the village, her family, or even a stranger. She would smile and then the face vanishes as her cleaning cloth disturbs the pool.

Her fourty-fifth birthday had passed only a few weeks ago. But despite the new age, nothing had changed. She still lived in an average life just passing the days. She hadn’t found a guy to fall in love with and no adventures passed her door. Not since she’d met that stranger. He’d turned up in town one day with a fire sprite at his shoulder. His eyes while seeming young and bright held a sadness that only endless time could bring.

Tyler he’d called himself. Deep brown hair that did not reflect light even in the brightest of sunny days. A small goatee on his chin that showed him older than he seemed. He’d come searching for something and showed her something amazing. The three months he’d stayed, he taught her many explanations.

The reason for why water acted up around her. And for her strange hunger and thirst. He taught her how to start wielding the power within her. And then left when he’d decided she would be fine.

She lifted her navy blue eyes to the window. Outside the weather remained partly cloudy. She wondered if in the ten years past he’d found what he was looking for.

 

 

Rukongai number 16

 

A man with black and silver hair kissed his wife on the cheek when she opened the door for him. The woman, now entering her thirties with radiant gold hair smiled when her one year old daughter called for her dad.

“Daddy,” the little blonde giggled. He lifted the girl from her mother’s arms and tossed her up in the air. She giggled more.

Handing the tyke back to her mother, he said, “I’ll be back later little one. I promise.”

“Of course you will, dear. Now if you don’t go, you’ll be late for your patrol shift. Sussie and I will be fine.”

“I know you will,” he whispered, planting a kiss on her nose. “Bye then, my lovelies.”

Out the door, the Soul Reaper ran down the path to the road. A flower garden decorated the left and a morning glory trellis on the right. They lived in a peaceful area. Little Sussane stared out the door at the sun far over head.

“Silly, don’t stare at the sun. you’ll go blind.” The door closed with a soft click.

 

 

Rukongai number 70

 

“Get ‘em!” it was the big one that yelled. A huge guy for not being that much older than the others. With him, the five boys in their early teens holding thick sticks or steel pipes rushed forward. seven yards of hard packed dirt and scattered ceramic shards spread the distance to the end of the alley and the two story tall wall.

The ten year old Alex made a face at the air. In his arms, he held the bag of food he’d stolen with his friend’s help. His friend, David, rolled his eyes next to him.

“I’ll take care of them, Alex. You go on ahead.”

“I’ll wait for five minutes max. Tier would murder me for leaving you behind.” Alex jumped. Their attackers skidded to a halt, staring. In one simple movement, Alex landed on the top of the wall and then dropped out of sight to the other side.

“Don’t ignore me!” David cried. His skin flickered, changing to blend with the wall in patches as he gathered energy. He dropped to his knees and pounded his fists on the ground. A tremor came before the earth wave that tossed the boys with ease into the air. A second hit threw them out of the alley. David turned and opened a hole in the wall. It closed behind him. Alex waited on the other side.

“That didn’t take long.”

“Course not. They’re normals. Is the food safe?”

“Peachy keen. Ah, you’re not allowed to eat till we get home.” Alex danced away from David. David chased him down the street.

 

 

Rukongai number 78

 

The girl laid to rest; Tyler went outside the small house. It wasn’t much with one bedroom, kitchen, living area and bathroom. A very small sort of house. The sun sank closer to the horizon with dusk not far now. He had rescued the little one in the early afternoon and it had taken him all day to travel to this location.

Footsteps in the grass were the first warning of his companion. The old man and friend sat down on the step next to him. Full beard and silver hair marked this one’s age. He wore his usual soul reaper robes of the Captain-Commander.

Yamamoto reminisced, “Last time I met you here, was about the same time year wasn’t it?”

“About. You were all upset with me too.”

“Well considering you didn’t give me any warning of your actions. You made a real mess and I had to sort it out.”

“In case you forgot, You were the one that caused me to do what I did.”

“Nonsense. I made a very hard decision.”

“Which caused the elementals to lose their hosts. It takes years for them to find a new host with the right conditions. I had very good reason to get angry.”

“Miashi was plotting against us. It was that or let our society be overrun. No one but me remembers when that happened. It was before your time.”

“The elementals are under my jurisdiction, Yamamoto. I could have handled it just fine.”

“We already argued over this. the discussion is past.” Yamamoto stamped his walking stick on the ground. “Now, what did you call me out for?”

“Our little blind fire witch has been born.”

“You’re talking about… her?”

“Yes, her. I found her today buried in a landslide, barely alive.” Tyler took out a cigarette and lit it. “The fire spirit chose a blind child on the edge of death and gave her sight. Sometimes, I wonder why it turns out like that. water picks those without temper and gives them emotional vitality. And fire cares more about the physical natures.”

“Like your Miashi? You brought him up as well.”

“Yea, Miashi. Maybe that was his downfall. He never thought of the Gotei 13 as family.”

“What of the girl’s parents? They’ll be looking for her.”

“Parents aren’t important. In fact being raised by a normal family is impossible for a fire elemental. They change. Mentally, physically. I don’t know what or who she used to be, but now she’s something else. Ah, don’t worry. She’ll be raised properly. As properly as the spirit allows.”

“When do you plan to return to Seireitei?”

Tyler spun the half burnt cigarette in his fingers. “I don’t. It was a mistake to encourage them to join the soul reapers. That’s why that tragedy happened. A rift occurs at some point because you get close and a new loyalty appears. I was lucky to be born into a generation that died normally. I will find the new elementals, bring them together and teach them to use their abilities properly. But I won’t introduce them to Gotei 13.”

“Are you so sure of that? this girl does become a soul reaper at some point.”

“Can’t time be changed?”

“But if you did, then everything will change. And we cannot know for better or for worse.”

“Papa?” the small voice interrupted them. They turned around. Megumi was a healthy child, not one who would have lived on the streets or in any sort of poverty. Tyler had noticed her clothes were well made as well. Her eyes scanned the scenery, seeing it for the first time.

“How are you feeling?” Tyler asked gently.

She riveted on him, her eyes wide. She didn’t know his voice precisely. She’d heard it only a bit. It was not the voice of her father. But he had asked a question and she felt compelled to answer.

“I had a bad dream. Of being buried and hurt. I lost Papa.”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Where is Papa?” she continued staring at him. Tyler suddenly felt nervous. He could sense the fire in her giving her energy, but there was a sensation he never got from Michi. Perhaps because he had already witnessed her powers first hand, but as she stared at him, he felt a fear that he couldn’t understand.

He swallowed. “He’s not here. But we’ll go find him later.”

“Is he lost? Did the darkness eat him?”

“I don’t know. He might be.” He glanced at Yamamoto. The old man pondered the young girl with curiosity. Megumi followed the gaze and studied the elder with the same wondering stare. She didn’t remember what had happened and why these two with unfamiliar faces were sitting here. The house also felt strange and rough to her feet. It wasn’t home, wherever home was, whatever home was. She remembered being with her father recently, but not what he looked like or where they had been. Everything looked odd too. Like she’d been living without something till now. Everything shone brightly to her vision and in detail.

“If you need me, old one, I’ll be with my people. Try to stay out of trouble.” Tyler clapped Yamamoto on the shoulder as he stood. The cigarette butt turned to ash in his hand. “Are you hungry little one?” he took Megumi’s hand and took her back inside.

**Author's Note:**

> While this is technically a Work In Progress, each chapter also operates as a stand alone. Thus it is marked as complete. I will not be updating this work on a regular basis, though hopefully once or twice a month as I can.


End file.
